His Excellency President Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh on Tuesday urged Bishop Dr. David Oladipo Chancellor Covenant University based in Lagos, Nigeria and President Living Faith Church International known as Winners Chapel International to open a university in The Gambia. President Jammeh informed the international acclaim preacher to liaise with the Department of State for Lands and the Ministry of Education for the possible project.

The President made these remarks during a courtesy call made to him by the Bishop who has many universities in the region.

The bishop was accompanied to State House by senior members of his Church – Winners Chapel of The Gambia headed by Father Edu Gomez. His visit to The Gambia is to enhance the empowerment of African nations and their people in education.

President Jammeh outlined that listening to Bishop David's speech he is very confident that Africa will soon regain its lost glory. The President said it's interesting to hear religious leaders speak away from religion and been very conversant with what is at stake for Africa.

He said education started in Africa, explaining that the Egyptians educated the Greeks, the Greeks also pass it to the Romans and finally the Romans disseminated it to the length and breadth of Europe. He further said that if all African religious leaders were as conscious as Bishop David we would have educated and enlighten African youths rather than confused youths in Africa.

He called on Africans to come together, humanize and programme ourselves and stop seeing whatever black as bad.

He recalled in 1994 when he assumed power and vowed that education, health and agriculture as the principal priorities areas of his government. Education is the only way of eradicating ignorance as ignorance is a menace in Africa, citing that the reason why he focused on this area is because if somebody is to be educated he has to be healthy, and for him to be healthy he has to eat good food emphasizing that all the three areas are interrelated and one cannot exist without the other for any meaningful development to be achieved in a nation.

For his part Bishop Dr. David Oladipo said The Gambia is a great nation with great people and great future likewise the African continent. He stated that he is not a friend of Africa but an African who loves the African continent. He reiterated that he will rather sleep on the floor with Africans in Africa than be deceived by the golden bed in the White House.

Bishop David said that Africa was once living in civilization and from 2900 BC to 400 BC the whole world used to come to Egypt for education from the Greek philosophers, mathematicians and artists but since then Africa lost her place in both education and civilization. He added that out of the five hundred universities in the world today only few are in Africa. Bishop David further gave an example of the importance of education noting that America is not a leading nation by work power in commerce or industry but a work power by intellectual property.

The Chancellor mentioned India being far ahead in education especially medical science when Americans today travel there for treatment in one area or another.

‘When would our great continent come back to this realization on how to rediscover our role in education' he questioned! He further said he came to discover that the through foundation for national transformation is quality education and it's impossible for the private sector to bear that burden alone without a review of the budgeting of our various nations in education.

He advised that until African States revisit their understanding of the quality place of education we will be going in cycles. Bishop David said Africans are long overdue to be able to run their governments, build their own people and future.

He concluded by saying that the strongest legacy in education would be the greatest legacy for the coming generation.

By Alagie Ceesay